Dr. Taras Chubenko’s Decades Long Spiritual Journey

Born to Ukrainian parents in a DP (displaced persons) camp in Ellwangen Germany at the conclusion of the second world war (1946), Taras Chubenko grew up in the United States after emigrating to New York City in June of 1951 through Ellis Island on a Polish passport. Nine months later, after some convincing by a family friend, the family moved to Allentown, PA where the author grew up involved in every aspect of life from simple joys of fishing to being a musician where he would meet the love of his life. While some of his friends were being drafted into military service, he decided to beat the draft and enlisted into the United States Army in 1966.

During his time in the Army, he married his wife MaryAnn who had become a Registered Nurse, and together had four sons and remained married for 56 years until her untimely death in 2023 from Alzheimer’s. His service assignment included serving as a Long Lines Battalion Microwave Site Chief in Camp Casey near the DMZ in South Korea. Upon discharge from the Army he returned to Pennsylvania State University to complete one of his many educational pursuits. At Penn State, he took private pilot lessons and eventually earned his pilot’s licence. After graduation from Penn State, he and his wife moved back to the Lehigh Valley (Allentown, PA) to start their family and where he opened and ran various small businesses which caused him to ponder life’s many and varied paths. During the time of running and changing businesses, he became a voracious reader and spent many hours, usually into the early hours of the morning, reading books on spirituality and examining the many roads spirituality takes.

In late 1977, he decided to talk with an old mentor, who he had met as an eleven year old, and questioned as to why he decided to enter the seminary at the age of 65? After a few weeks of discussions, the Author decided to enter St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Seminary. The process ultimately led to him completing the seminary and being ordained an Orthodox priest. He was summarily assigned to St. Demetrius Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Carteret, NJ where he served as pastor for 40 years until he retired once he learned the severity of his wife’s Alzheimer’s.

The Author’s spiritual journey is revealed in greater detail as the books dive into the mystical experiences and growth in his spiritual understanding. As he is quick to reveal to anyone, the journey never ends, it is a continual growth and revelation no matter how smart (ego) you think you are or how ever many promotions or elevations one receives in life, the learning never stops and the journey continues!

Right about the time you think you totally understand, watch out, you are in for a new awakening!